Chapter 89 Uncle Lin Jianguo
He smiled and nodded, then put a large piece of meat on Xu Zhian's plate: "An'an is right, this is my cooking!" He gave a thumbs up.
The three sat around the small dining table.
Xu Zhian chattered away in childish jargon, and Xie Yunze responded patiently, occasionally exchanging a knowing glance with Xu Zhili.
Xu Zhili listened quietly, occasionally wiping the grease from her brother's mouth and adding some wolf meat to Xie Yunce's plate.
The gentle clinking of bowls and chopsticks, the soft whispers and laughter, all mingled in the cool summer night breeze, filling the air with the simple warmth and tranquility of an ordinary family.
After the meal, Xu Zhili cleared the dishes and went to the kitchen to wash them.
Xie Yunze stayed with Xu Zhian, who was still enjoying himself, in the courtyard. By the light of the lamp, Xu Zhian used a twig to continue practicing the newly learned character "人" (person) on the ground.
Xu Zhian's giggles were particularly clear and crisp in the quiet courtyard.
The sound of running water came from the kitchen.
A moment later, Xu Zhili came out wiping her hands. Her gaze inadvertently swept over the stone table, and she remembered the letter that had been pressed under the bowl.
She walked over and picked up the letter. The envelope bore familiar, slightly trembling handwriting—a reply from Grandma Xu in her hometown of Hunan Province.
She finally received a reply to the letter she had sent earlier to let everyone know she was safe.
She opened the envelope and pulled out the thin sheet of paper.
Under the dim light, she read through the lines one by one.
At first, it was Grandma Xu's familiar concern and warm greetings, along with her constant nagging about her worries.
However, when her gaze fell upon the description of Lin Jianguo's family's recent situation in the letter, Xu Zhili's fingers tightened slightly as she held the letter, and her breath caught in her throat for a moment.
A few lines of text flashed quickly across her eyes. She first widened her eyes slightly, and then an extremely complex expression—a mixture of shock, pleasure, relief, and even a trace of pity—flew across her clear eyes, finally turning into a very faint, yet incredibly clear, relieved smile on her lips.
That smile was like the moon emerging from the clouds, dispelling a small patch of gloom that had long shrouded her heart.
She exhaled softly and murmured to herself, her voice low yet clear and reassuring.
"...It really does prove the old saying true: justice will prevail and retribution will be swift. You have to swallow the bitter fruit you sowed in the end."
There was no intense hatred in that voice, only a desolate and calm acceptance of the ways of the world.
This subtle change did not escape Xie Yunce's notice, who had been keeping a close eye on her.
He immediately stopped gesturing to Xu Zhian, quickly walked over, and asked in a concerned whisper, "Sister? What's wrong? You look pale... Is there something important in the letter? Is it about home..."
His tone was worried, as if something bad had happened in her hometown.
Xu Zhili raised her head and met his concerned gaze. The smile on her lips deepened, carrying a strange sense of ease.
She shook her head, gently folded the letter, and put it back in the envelope. Her tone was calm and even, yet it clearly reached Xie Yunze's ears.
"It's nothing serious, it's just... evil people will be punished by evil people, the cycle of karma is inescapable, retribution is inevitable."
A night breeze swept by, bringing a touch of coolness and seemingly blowing away some heavy memories of the past.
The flame of the kerosene lamp flickered gently, casting long shadows of the three people on the mottled earthen wall, quiet and lingering.
——————
Xu Zhili sat quietly at the table by the window. A gentle breeze blew, and the clear, melodious sound of the bamboo wind chimes drifted over. She was engrossed in the sound as she read the letter that her grandmother had sent.
The letter described the misfortunes that befell her selfish and heartless father.
To be honest, this happened on the third day after Xu Zhili went to the countryside.
The torrential rain wove a dense, impenetrable gray net between heaven and earth, lashing fiercely at the bumpy, muddy roads of the county town, and also at Zhang Zhaodi's thin back.
Zhang Zhaodi stood before the two heavy, peeling black doors of the County Management Committee. Rainwater streamed down her hair and clothes, each drop hitting the ground as if striking the taut nerve endings of Zhang Zhaodi.
She had no idea how she ended up at the entrance of the county revolutionary committee.
At that moment, she felt dizzy and her eyes were empty.
A voice seemed to be urging her in her mind to expose Lin Jianguo's dirty deeds.
Zhang Zhaodi's soaked blue overalls clung to her body, heavy and saturated with rainwater and something even heavier, almost crushing her.
The dim yellow light under the eaves flickered weakly and wavered in the chaotic rain, like a candle burning in the wind.
Faint, indistinct voices could be heard from inside the door, and with each subtle sound, Zhang Zhaodi's already stiff back tensed even more.
She frowned slightly, and for some reason, a sense of resistance arose in her heart towards this place.
However, as if by some unseen force, she was forced to move forward step by step, despite her reluctance, to carry out the established task.
The icy rainwater flowed down my neck and into my clothes, but the biting chill was no match for the recurring flames burning in my head.
Report Lin Jianguo!
Report Lin Jianguo!!
Report Lin Jianguo!!
The letter of denunciation, the one that embodied all her resolve, was now tucked inside her soaked clothes, pressed against her wildly beating heart, the stiff edges of the paper almost digging into her flesh.
Zhang Zhaodi tightened her grip on her clothes, her rough palms sweating – I'm from the countryside, my ancestors toiled in the fields for generations, when have I ever done anything like "suing the officials"?
But... but I can't swallow this insult!
The laughter and chatter under the old locust tree at the village entrance still echoes in my ears. If the gossipy aunts and uncles knew, who knows what they would say behind my back.
But then she thought about the mess in the house, and her back teeth ached from clenching them: Who cares! I, Zhang Zhaodi, am not someone to be trifled with. If I'm really pushed to the limit, I can still go back to the countryside and toil in the fields after reporting them. I'm willing to risk it all.
The door hinges creaked open with a sickening groan, opening heavily through a crack.
The dim, yellowish light cut off at an angle, casting a sharp streak of light on the wet ground.
A face peeked out from behind the crack in the door. It was Xiao Wang, a clerk from the management committee. His young face showed impatience at being disturbed and surprise at seeing who was outside.
"Comrade?" He paused for a moment, then raised his voice, "What are you doing standing here in this heavy rain? Come in!"
Zhang Zhaodi didn't move; rainwater streamed down her forehead and into her eyes, stinging them.
She wiped her face hard, her lips trembling, yet with a resolute determination: "I...I'm going to report! Report Lin Jinguo!"
"Who? Who are you talking about? Is it that technician Lin from the First Machinery Factory?" Xiao Wang looked suspicious, as if he hadn't heard clearly at all, or as if he couldn't believe what he had heard.
"Yes, that's him! Lin Jinguo, the senior technician from the First Machinery Plant!"
Zhang Zhaodi suddenly raised her voice, and those three words pierced through the sound of the pouring rain, "That is, my uncle, Lin Jinguo!"
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